


Responsibility

by Ciaossu



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Eye Trauma, Family Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 02:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13448670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ciaossu/pseuds/Ciaossu
Summary: “She will be fine, milord.” Saizo promised. He bowed to his liege, one hand on Mitama’s shoulder. “I will look after her.”Mitama’s scream echoed out from behind him. He remembered little else of the battlefield.AU where hey, maybe putting kids on the battlefield isn't a good idea? And Mitama gets injured and loses an eye like her adopted uncle.





	Responsibility

Battles were unpredictable. It did not matter how much training one had, how skilled one was, how long one had lived a life on the battlefield. In the end, battles were always unpredictable, regardless of what one did. One moment was all it ever took.

It was a skirmish, if anything. A small battle that meant nothing, no tremendous wins and nothing significant lost besides their lives if so. Another enemy fell, shuriken embedded in them. Saizo landed lightly on his feet. His eye flickered briefly to the young woman far behind him.

Mitama remained standing, determined, waiting for orders to tend to any that needed to. Saizo turned away, satisfied. Battle was harsh, but the young recruits were doing well in a war that was not theirs to fight. He was proud to see it.

He was proud to see her, especially. She had no skill in fighting, but did not shudder at the challenge. After some prodding from her father, she had committed to helping. And they were unlikely to stop her.

Saizo shot forward, taking down enemies once more. They fell easily under his tools. Motivation on the battlefield was important. Motivation could make that small difference, push one to fight just that bit harder. But it wasn’t always enough. Saizo was, after all, simply one man.

_“You are certain?” Lord Ryoma had asked, frowning worryingly over the young woman. “It is fine for you to wait this battle through at camp and tend to those who return.”_

_“She will be fine, milord.” Saizo promised. He bowed to his liege, one hand on Mitama’s shoulder. “I will look after her.”_

Mitama’s scream echoed out from behind him. He remembered little else of the battlefield.

 

She had already been taken to a medical tent by the time he’d returned to their astral plane. Lady Sakura was looking after her.

He stormed his way over. No one approached him. He was thankful for that. He had little patience now for others and their nonsense. 

She was fine. Of course she was. There was no considering the opposite. There was no opposite to consider.

He reached the medical tent to find it clear of others. He was thankful for that. It allowed him privacy when he froze as a cry of pain rang out as he moved to enter.  
Her voice.

_Mitama huffed, arms crossed. They were outside. She was miserable about it as usual. “Lessons learnt cruelly / upon dawn’s first arrival / confidence lacking.”_

_“I do have confidence in you.” Saizo retorted. “You’re an excellent healer.” A knife slid into his hand. He flipped it around so that the handle was extended towards her. “That doesn’t mean I can’t want you safer.”_

_She pouted still, but took the weapon from him. “I have you looking after me.” She took the time to inspect the tool carefully. “What more safety could I find?”_

Enough, he had hoped, to prevent the quiet whimpering that slipped out of the tent. He stepped back and slipped away without ever setting foot inside.

 

Saizo had never been a vain man. But waking up the following days, he found it growing increasingly hard to stomach the man staring back in the mirror.

A scar. Healed well, she would be fine, save for a loss of vision in one eye and a scar. One that Lord Ryoma had reported looked very similar to his. He had yet to see it for himself. He had tried, but he could not step foot in the space where she rested. He had yet to see her since before that battle.

She had been a self appointed mission.

_“And this is?”_

_The question had caught him off guard. His eye flicked over to her. She stared back at him. Though her face showed nothing, he could tell she was perfectly content to await his introduction. He had told her not to worry about speaking after all._

_He scowled. Good with orders. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that._

_Nor was he sure how to respond the question. He knew what she’d taken to calling him. It pulled at something in his chest to hear her say it. But just because she did did not mean he’d earned the right, not after the choices he’d made in life and what he was._

_“...My ward.” He finally answered. He bit down on the reaction he could sense at his side. “And of no concern to you.”_

He’d failed his mission. He didn’t deserve to see her.

 

Azama approached him. It was never a happy occasion. The man was unbearable at best. Seeing him approach without the infuriating smile set Saizo at unease. His gaze shifted away, as did he. The monk ignored it. Saizo presumed the closed eyes were watching him. “Yes?”

“Hypocrisy was not a deed I expected from someone like you, you know.” Azama told him. Saizo supposed the man intended to look stern, arms crossed and clearly unimpressed. He was attempting it on the wrong man. It just made Saizo feel more and more uneasy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, what were the words you said to me that day?” Azama sighed loudly, making a great show of cocking his head and attempting to remember. Saizo wished he’d approached on his blind side. “How time was short? How precious life was? How important it was to hurry to the side of my angel daughter and shelter her from all possi-”

“I didn’t say that.” Saizo snapped.

“True. But you said something, and for you that is near equivalent.” Azama watched him. If he expected him to crack, it was a fool’s errand. “She has asked for you.”

Saizo turned his head to glare at the monk. The monk scoffed and turned. “I do not expect that to be enough to sway your stubborn misgivings. It seems I was foolish to think you cared.”

The stinging in his chest lasted long after the monk had walked away.

 

She was allowed to leave the medical tent. She was still not cleared for battle again. Likely would never be unless the situation was dire, if Lord Ryoma had his way. Saizo agreed.

Asugi took the hand on her blind side. Saizo frowned. Foolish. He watched as she jumped and Asugi quickly moved to apologize. Saizo sighed through his nose.

He could do nothing though. His son had him beat in bravery at least. He could approach the small shrine maiden where Saizo sat hidden in a tree, watching from afar as Mitama struggled to adjust to her newly redacted vision.

Asugi was able to help. Asugi could stand looking at her face and seeing the confirmation of how Saizo had failed her.

_“...does it ever still hurt?”_

_Saizo raised his head at the question Mitama had paused, bandage still being wrapped around his forearm. A scrape, nothing more. But her eyes were not focused on that. Her eyes remained trained upon his missing one. He grunted in response._

_“On occasion.” He answered. There was little need to describe it. She was a healer. She should be used to people in pain. But there was nothing to be done about this. “Headaches mostly. I’ve adjusted.” There was no choice._

_She hummed. Her eyes remained on his eye. She still looked displeased. He didn’t know what to say to ease that away. She gave up after a time, returning to the task at hand. “I’m sorry.”_

_Saizo stared. “You have no reason to be.”_

_She shrugged. “All the same.”_

Asugi’s eyes flicked to the trees as his father moved away.

 

A ninja was always aware of his surroundings. A ninja was always prepared for an attack. The knife that flew by missed him severely. He still tensed and whirled around. He froze.

Mitama glared at him with one eye. The other was covered with a patch. To prevent infection, his mind supplied, while the flesh healed fully. He was familiar with it. The bottom of her staff was worn. It had been touching the floor more often.

He made to move. Her hand settled on one of the sharp spikes of his armor. He froze to prevent hurting her further than he already had. He had not noticed her move so close so quickly.

She continued to glare at him. She was much more intimidating than her father. His gaze shifted away again. “...you came looking for me.”

“Asugi told me of your location.” Her reply was stiff. She was upset. “He said he saw you skulking about the underused training yards. It concluded as a logical place to find you.” 

Saizo said nothing. Mitama said nothing. They both said nothing for a time. Saizo sighed. “Do you need-”

“Why are you avoiding me?” Mitama demanded. Her grip remained on the armor. She would hurt herself if she held too tightly. Saizo kept very still. “You have kept hidden in shadows for a time far too long now. At first I thought you busy, but you have clearly been about.”

He didn’t mean to concern her. She should have been able to move on from his disappearance easily. She was young, and bright, and didn’t deserve to be tainted by his presence.

“...If my performance in that last battle was dissatisfactory-”

“No.” At that he whirled to face her. Her hand released him. She simply stood and watched him. He was free to depart if he wished. He stayed. “Yours is not the performance I was...disappointed in.”

“...your own?”

Saizo’s gaze dropped once more, but still he stayed. “You were injured. On my watch.”

“It was battle. You have duties and were needed elsewhere. I should have been able to hold my own.”

“You shouldn’t…” She was a child. She was a victim of the war, not a participant. She had no responsibility to fight alongside them. “I had promised to protect you. I failed that. I had failed my mission. I am not fit then to be the one watching you.”

“...so you would have me lose my uncle at the same time as my eye?”

His gaze snapped back to her. She met it levelly. “Though it may have been through my father’s prodding, I chose to enter the battle. I insisted I be there. I am not your sworn liege, I am my own responsibility and I will not accept you taking that blame from me.”

They both watched each other. Mitama cracked first, though not in the way he expected. The iron left her, replaced with tears that lined her eyes. “...I was worried. When you first did not see me, that they were not telling me whatever it was that kept you away.”

His hands found themselves on her face. His thumbs brushed the tears that leaked from her eye. The movement jarred her injured side, and she winced. Saizo cursed. “I’m sorry.” For both. For everything.

Mitama smiled. She knew. “I missed you, uncle.”

He grunted. “I missed you, Dove.”

 

She shifted in her seat again. Saizo grunted and lightly tapped her shoulder. She settled. “You’re going to make me miss if you keep squirming.”

She huffed. Saizo was certain she’d rolled her eyes. “Impatience festers / leaking under skin and bone / mind sours from it.” Saizo huffed a laugh. “I am merely eager to see how it has healed. Lady Sakura does not allow mirrors in the surroundings when she treats it.”

“For the best.” He’s careful as he moves, scissors slipping under the bandages to cut through them. “It’s not the type of thing that heals pretty.”

She huffed again. She did that a lot lately. Saizo paused his movements to give her shoulder another patient tap. “I am not such a fool that I expected it to.” Mitama retorted. “I am merely eager to see how it looks. Which I never will, if my uncle continues to be a glacier.”

Saizo snorted, but he supposed she was right. With care, he moved as ask. The bandages fell away easily. The both of them took a moment to breathe before either could move their gaze to the mirror.

Lord Ryoma had been right. The scar was very similar to the one on Saizo’s own face. Less neat. His had not been in the middle of battle. At least the lid on hers covered the worst of the damage. “Lady Sakura mentioned the possibility of a glass eye.” He reminded her.

Mitama hummed. She seemed little focused on the words he spoke. “We look similar now.” Saizo grunted. She smiled. “An unfortunate family resemblance, uncle.”

Saizo scoffed. The mark still set unease through him. The thought of her crying uneased him more though. “Doesn’t suit you.”

Mitama laughed. She reached back to swat at him. She missed badly. “I will grow into it!” She moved to her feet and rounded on him with hands on her hips. “But for now, your aid. I was promised a lesson.”

“You were.” Saizo placed down the scissors. He extended a hand to her. “Let’s go.” She caught his hand easily.


End file.
